Shedinja Best Moveset
AbilityWonder Guard blocks all damage except super-effective moves, but 1 HP means any chip from MoveStealth Rock, weather, burn, or poison ends it instantly. The moveset lives or dies by type matchups alone. Fell from C-tier to F because modern formats have too many incidental ways to break through AbilityWonder Guard.
Wonder Guard blocked all non-super-effective damage in Gen III (Ruby & Sapphire). 1 HP meant any super-effective hit, weather, status, or hazard was lethal. The ultimate gimmick.
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Shadow Ball
- Toxic
- Baton Pass
- Hidden Power Bug
Recommended Teammates
Stealth Rock made Wonder Guard nearly unplayable in Gen IV (Diamond & Pearl). Switching in cost Shedinja its only HP. Teams needed Rapid Spin support just to field it.
Best Moves
Best Build
Shedinja best EVs are Attack and Speed
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Swords Dance
- X Scissor
- Shadow Sneak
- Sucker Punch
Recommended Teammates
Hazards everywhere in Gen V (Black & White). Weather damage from sand and hail bypassed Wonder Guard. The number of things that accidentally killed Shedinja grew every gen.
Physical Attacker Moveset
- Will O Wisp
- Shadow Sneak
- Protect
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
Ghost/Bug had five super-effective weaknesses in Gen VI (X & Y). Defog helped with hazards but still required team support. Building around Shedinja cost more than it gained.
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Will O Wisp
- Shadow Sneak
- Swords Dance
- Sucker Punch
Recommended Teammates
Stealth Rock, weather, status, Leech Seed, Rocky Helmet, and poison all bypassed Wonder Guard in Gen VII (Sun & Moon). The kill list was longer than Shedinja's HP.
Physical Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Shadow Sneak
- Protect
- Will O Wisp
- Swords Dance
Recommended Teammates
Heavy-Duty Boots removed hazard damage in Gen VIII (Sword & Shield). The first real Shedinja item. Still died to weather, status, and every indirect source in the game.
Special Attacker Moveset
- Will O Wisp
- Protect
- Shadow Sneak
- Toxic
Recommended Teammates
Shedinja Weakness
Shedinja is weak to Fire, Flying, Rock, Ghost, and Dark. On the flip side, it's immune to Normal and Fighting-type moves entirely. 4 resistances help offset the weaknesses. Wonder Guard makes Shedinja immune to all non-super-effective damage.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Fire, Flying, Rock, Ghost, Dark |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Grass, Poison, Ground, Bug |
| 0x (Immune) | Normal, Fighting |
What is Shedinja Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Shedinja
Barraskewda threatens a KO with Liquidation (190-224%). Xurkitree's Thunderbolt also KOs at 209-246%.
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityUnaware ItemLeftovers NatureImpish Moves View Dondozo builds →
| ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilitySwiftswim ItemChoice Band NatureAdamant Moves
Damage vs Shedinja View Barraskewda builds →Liquidation190-224%KO Flip Turn134-159%KO Aqua Jet90-106%KO | ||
B | ||
Recommended Build AbilityBeastboost ItemPsychiumz NatureTimid Moves
Damage vs Shedinja View Xurkitree builds →Thunderbolt209-246%KO Energy Ball104-123%KO Dazzling Gleam186-219%KO | ||
Recommended Build AbilityUnseenfist ItemChoice Scarf NatureJolly Moves View Urshifu-Rapid-Strike builds →
| ||
Recommended Build AbilityScrappy ItemLopunnite NatureJolly Moves View Lopunny-Mega builds →
| ||
Evolution
Nincada's line splits into 2 evolutions, and Shedinja is the level-up path. Each sibling form needs a different method to obtain. Breed through Nincada to get eggs. Ninjask has 220 more total stats, but Shedinja makes up for it with a stronger Attack gain (+45 from Nincada). View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Shedinja is genderless — breed with Ditto to produce Nincada eggs. Part of the Mineral egg group.
Ditto onlyHow to Get Shedinja
You're catching Nincada first, not Shedinja. Nincada appears at decent rates in the encounters below. The step cards map the full 2-stage line with evolution methods between each stage.
How to Obtain Shedinja in BDSP
Nincada is your first catch on the way to Shedinja. You'll find walking and special encounters from Lv. 10-63 across 10 total spots in the chain.
Step 1Catch NincadaEterna ForestLv.10-12Using PokeRadarRate 22%Grassland CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameRiverbank CaveLv.58-63CavePost-gameStill-Water CavernLv.58-63CavePost-gameSunlit CavernLv.58-63CavePost-game
Step 2Shedinja ✓
Shedinja doesn't appear wild. Catch Nincada instead, it shows up at solid rates. Evolve it at level 20 to get Shedinja. The 2-stage line is mapped in the step cards below.
How to Obtain Shedinja in SwSh
The path to Shedinja starts with Nincada at Lv. 7-18 via walking encounters. 1 catchable stage total, with locations listed for each one below.
Step 1Catch NincadaSouth Lake MilochLv.11-13GrassRate 40%SandstormWest Lake AxewellLv.7-11CaveRate 30%SandstormSouth Lake MilochLv.11-13GrassRate 10%Intense SunRoute 5Lv.16-18GrassRate 5%All Weather
Step 2Shedinja ✓BREEDINGAvailableLeave a compatible parent at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Shedinja egg.
Shedinja isn't available in the wild in Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon. Start by transferring Nincada from Ruby & Sapphire, Emerald, or Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. The evolution path from Nincada to Shedinja is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Shedinja in USUM
Step 1Obtain NincadaLATER APPEARANCEfrom Ruby & SapphireNot TradeableAppears in Ruby & Sapphire via Walking · Route 116. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom EmeraldNot TradeableAppears in Emerald via Walking · Route 116. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Diamond & PearlNot TradeableAppears in Diamond & Pearl via Pokeradar · Eterna Forest. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom PlatinumNot TradeableAppears in Platinum via Pokeradar · Eterna Forest. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in HeartGold & SoulSilver via Walking · National Park · Post-National Dex - Thursday, Saturday. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom X & YNot TradeableAppears in X & Y via Walking · Route 6 · Tall grass only. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.- Step 2Shedinja ✓
Shedinja isn't available in the wild in Sun & Moon. Start by transferring Nincada from Ruby & Sapphire, Emerald, or Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl. The evolution path from Nincada to Shedinja is covered in the steps below.
How to Obtain Shedinja in SM
- Step 1Obtain NincadaBREEDINGAvailableLeave Shedinja with a compatible partner at the Pokemon Day Care to receive a Nincada egg.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Ruby & SapphireNot TradeableAppears in Ruby & Sapphire via Walking · Route 116. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom EmeraldNot TradeableAppears in Emerald via Walking · Route 116. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom Diamond & PearlNot TradeableAppears in Diamond & Pearl via Pokeradar · Eterna Forest. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom PlatinumNot TradeableAppears in Platinum via Pokeradar · Eterna Forest. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCENot TradeableAppears in HeartGold & SoulSilver via Walking · National Park · Post-National Dex - Thursday, Saturday. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.LATER APPEARANCEfrom X & YNot TradeableAppears in X & Y via Walking · Route 6 · Tall grass only. Forward-only transfer — no path back to this game from a later one.
- Step 2Shedinja ✓
Base Stats
Attack leads and HP gets almost nothing. That's Shedinja's stat line in a nutshell. 1 stats sit in respectable range, but the spread is brutal. Tough to catch and yields 2 HP EVs.
It is a discarded bug shell that came to life. Peering into the crack on its back is said to steal one’s spirit.
Shedinja Guide
Shedinja's biggest threats include Arcanine (Fire), Salamence (Flying), and Golem (Rock), all carrying super-effective STAB moves. Ghost and Dark-type attackers are also a problem. With 5 weakness types, most competitive teams carry at least one counter. At base 40 Speed, Shedinja won't outrun any of these threats so switching to a resist is usually the safer play.
Honestly, Shedinja is a tough sell at 236 BST. Plenty of stronger Bug/Ghost options exist. Fun pick, not a practical one.
Wonder Guard changes the entire equation for Shedinja. The 236 BST doesn't tell the full story. Ranked C-Tier as a trick room.
Wonder Guard is what you want on Shedinja. Every competitive set worth running is built with that ability in mind.
Base 40 Speed is low. Priority moves or Trick Room are the way to go. On offense, Shedinja is a physical attacker with base 90 Attack. Defensively? Fragile, can't afford to take many hits. Best used as a trick room.
Game Availability
Available in 14 titles since its debut in Ruby & Sapphire, Shedinja spans 8 generations of Pokemon games. It's accessible through wild encounters in a solid number of games.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GS
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RSDebut
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORAS
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7LGPE
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves